Australian Military History

One of the defining features of the Kokoda Campaign was undoubtedly the native carriers who carried supplies forward and wounded men back. Much is made of their contribution, and rightly so, but without the efforts of Doc Vernon to improve conditions and care of the carrier force it is debatable whether they could or would have carried on their efforts. Not only did Doc take care of the carriers,...

In this interview Peter Mitchell gives a detailed account of a little known event in Australia's military history - the fighting on Java in the opening weeks of the Pacific War. He also provides an insight into the benefits of creative non-fiction as a means of providing factual details about an event while also providing a good story for the readers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mor...

With the fall of Singapore imminent, all nursing staff were given orders to evacuate. Despite the protests of the nurses they boarded the evacuation ships. Those who boarded the Vyner Brook would suffering murder and imprisonment at the hands of the Japanese, but those aboard the other two ships, the Wasui and Empire Star were spared that horror. But that doesn't mean they got away safely. In this...

Commissioned into the Royal Australian Navy on the eve of World War II, HMAS Perth (I) was the only RAN vessel in the Atlantic at the outbreak of war. She returned to Australia for a short period before serving in the Mediterranean, gaining praise for her crew's seamanship and accurate gunnery. Returning to Australia for repairs she was present at the outbreak of the Pacific War and was eventually...

Colonel Marcus Fielding spent nine months as an embedded Australian officer within the Coalition Forces Headquarters during the final stages of Australia's involvement in the Iraq War. He provides a fascinating insight into the day to day running of a major headquarters and the state of play in Baghdad as the Coalition commitment winds down. https://www.echobooks.com.au/books/red-zone-baghdad Host...

This episode we're looking at the work of the unsung heroes of every campaign which Australia has taken part in - the Military Chaplain. We're going to do this by focusing on Walter Dexter, who was as famous during World War 1 as Jacka or John Monash, but has been largely forgotten in the intervening years. I'm speaking with Professor Daniel Reynaud who has written a book on Walter Dexter's life,...

In this bonus episode I interview Aaron Dryden about his book, Between Two Wars, based upon the story of his great grandfather's experiences through WW1 and WW2 and his eventual fate at the Sandakan Prisoner of War camp. https://www.amazon.com.au/Between-Two-Wars-Aaron-Dryden-ebook/dp/B0G441WXNS/ref=sr_1_1?crid=ET9QEE6JJB5U&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.5z7rjnDZolTUhGtW2Jt6CXjTo-YGA_D7Q06rXmD1xLWgjr45nzxvm...

After the fall of Singapore 80 000 British, Indian and Australian troops became prisoners of the Japanese Imperial Army. Many of these men would be subjected to the horrors of the Thai Burma railway, but around 2 500 were to suffer and even worse fate. They would be sent to Borneo to build an airstrip for the Japanese near the village of Sandakan. After years of brutality, with the fear of an Alli...

As promised in my last episode, I hereby present to you all a Christmas present to say thank you for your support throughout the year. Have a good one. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Having advanced beyond the village of Pozieres, the 1st and 3rd Brigades of the 1st Division now attempted to realign themselves with the Old German (OG) Lines. The fighting by now was chaotic with orders being issued for local attacks, often without neighbouring units being aware. Miscommunicated orders also didn't help things. But advances were made, lost and made again. The 25th and 26th July 1...

After securing the ground on the southern edge of Pozieres village, along the Bapaume Road, the 1st Australian Division was ordered to use patrols to capture the remainder of the village, which higher command believed to be empty of Germans. The patrols met some success with positions established on the northern side of the village, but the Germans weren't going to let the Australians have it all...

In 1916, the British launched the now infamous Battle of the Somme. Three weeks after the opening of the battle, the high ground around a small village in French Picardy remained in German hands. In the AIF's first major assault on the Western Front, the task of seizing Pozieres fell on the 1st Australian Division. The 23rd July would mark the beginning of the battle which would incur the greatest...

I recently interviewed Roland Perry about his new book Oliphant, the biography of arguably Australia's greatest mind and a man who played an instrumental role in the defeat of both Nazi Germany and Japan. https://www.patreon.com/c/u46029761?view_as=patron https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToyQ3ufqmB0 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the capture of Magdhaba and with El Arish more or less secured, the Desert Column was poised to leave the Sinai behind and entre Palestine. There was only one potential threat to that advance, the old Egyptian police post of Rafa. This strong defensive position gave the Turks better access to water than the British and Commonwealth forces could muster and so at the start of the day, the Turks...

Start Digging You Bastards is the new book from Tom Gilling, following the deeds of the Australian 9th Division during the Battle of El Alamein. This month I interview Tom about El Alamein and the Australian's role in the "Turning Point of the War." australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=46029761&view_as=patron Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...

Something different this month as this is a topic I knew absolutely nothing about. Fortunately, someone who does know all about it is Edmund Goldrick, whose dulcet tones you will get to enjoy instead of my usual droning. Enjoy australianmilitaryhistorypodcast.com https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=46029761&view_as=patron Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the outbreak of the Korean War, the 77th Squadron were just packing up to leave Japan after five years with the occupation forces. Within a week they were flying their first combat mission of the war and would go on to forge a reputation as an effective fighting force, which the Commanding Officer of the US 5th Airforce said "set the pace". https://www.patreon.com/c/user?u=46029761&view_as=...

The Japanese thrust had managed to drive a wedge between the 24th Brigade and the 20th Brigade of the 9th Division. But the fighting had left the Japanese battered and unable to launch a coordinated follow up attack. Over the following days, the Australians would regroup and reinforce with the intention re-establishing their defensive line and pushing the Japanese back in preparation for the attac...

Having been forced out of Finschhafen and Jivevaneng, the Japanese forces on the Huon Peninsula launched a counter-attack, aimed at recapturing the Australian-held Scarlett Beach. This is where stores and reinforcements were being landed by the Australian and American forces. Lose Scarlett Beach and the entire area would become precarious. Fortunately, a plan of the coming offensive had been disco...

With the fall of Finshhafen, the 20th Brigade of the 9th Division was keen to push on to their next major objective in the Huon Peninsula campaign; Sattelberg. It appeared that the Japanese who had retreated were all heading in that direction, so all haste was needed in order to prevent them from settling in. Unfortunately, the areas which the Brigade had already seized were only thinly held and f...

Born in New Zealand, Nancy Wake grew up in Australia. At her first opportunity she took off overseas and, after training as a journalist, found herself with a front row seat to the rise of Nazi Germany. When war broke out and Germany captured Paris and Northern France, Nancy and her husband went to work helping Allied soldiers flee occupied France to England. In the process Nancy became the Gestap...

With the 15th Brigade all be annihilated, the 14th and 8th Brigades tried desperately to hold onto their gains. But with their right flank open and the left under intense counter attack, the scattered parties were in a desperate situation. Spirited defensive counter attacks held the Germans at bay for a while, but diminishing supplies and the strength of German attacks snuffed out the pockets one...

With the initial attack halted, the men of the 5th Australian Division set about holding onto what they had managed to take. But confusion and lack of communication meant that the commanders back from the fighting didn't fully understand the situation. In ignorance of the true situation further attacks were ordered, then cancelled. But the battered 15th Brigade didn't get...

As promised, something to break up the Fromelles episodes a bit. I present unto Thee an attempt to explain the structure of the Australian Army throughout the years. I shall unravel the mysteries that surround battalions, platoons and Brigades, what's the difference between Non Commissioned and Commissioned ranks and just how it all combines to make the whole thing work. Hosted on Acast. See acast...

With all the planning done and dusted, there was nothing left to do except get going. The British 183rd and 184th Divisions, forming the right flank of the attack went forward and were almost immediately stopped in their tracks. The next in line was the Australian 15th Brigade, whose task was to attack the underside of the Sugarloaf. The preparatory bombardment had inflicted no serious damage on t...